Various reaction force generating apparatuses have been conventionally incorporated into driving game machines that simulate driving. Specifically, in such driving game machines, the vehicle on the screen turns right or left when a player rotates a steering wheel of the game machine. The steering wheel is provided with a reaction force, so that the player feels as if he or she is actually driving a vehicle.
In order to provide a reaction force for steering wheel of the driving game machine, various methods have been proposed, including the Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications Nos. 2-98392 and 2-114982 in which the force is generated by means of springs, and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications Nos. 2-271382, 4-232829 and 4-92691 in which the reaction force for steering wheels is generated by the rotational outputs of a direct current motor.
Arm gears of training machines for building muscles also incorporate springs to create a reaction force when the arm gears are rotated.
In methods utilizing springs to generate a reaction force, the obtained reaction force merely operates to reinstate the steering wheel of driving game machine or the arm gear of training machine to its original position. In addition, an urging force provided by means of a spring(s) deteriorates over an extended period of use.
Methods that generate reaction forces with the rotational force of direct current motors have the advantage that various reaction forces can be generated by controlling the rotational direction of the direct current motor and its torque. However, every time the direction of the reaction force needs to be changed, so does the direction of the electric current to be supplied to the direct current motor. Consequently, their control circuit and control method are relatively complicated.